LOLwut? James Spader to play Ultron in "Avengers: Age of Ultron"

Well, that was unexpected.

On the heels of a controversial superhero movie casting choice last week (Ben Affleck as Batman, if you've been living under a rock) we have another big casting.

This time, we get to find out who will play the Big Bad in "Avengers: Age of Ultron."

And that actor is ... James Spader!

Pictured: The Face of EVIL!

(Photo from Wikipedia)

So, full disclosure, I don't really know much about Ultron, other than that he's an angry robot/android/automaton, so I can't actually judge whether Spader will be a good Ultron. Also, we don't know if it will be a voice role only or if Spader will be in the movie in the flesh, or what. There's not even any information about which iteration of Ultron will be the bad guy in the new Avengers movie.

However, I do think James Spader is a fantastic choice for a villain in general. 

I know Spader's work best from "The Practice" and its spinoff, "Boston Legal," (which I watched sporadically because I love William Shatner). While I'm pretty sure that Ultron will not be an intelligent, offbeat, jerky lawyer (though that would be a pretty scary supervillain), I think that there are aspects of his performance that will make him a pretty terrifying villain. 

When I think of Spader and the smattering of roles I've seen him in, the word that comes to mind is "control." He is great as a character with obviously complex emotions bubbling just under his smooth surface. That kind of control - a detachment of sorts - is something that makes for an excellent villain. I love that kind of bad guy so much more than some wild-eyed killer. There is something infinitely more terrifying about somebody who does villainous things not only on purpose, but with clear knowledge of exactly what he or she is doing. 

So that controlled detachment that Spader does so well will be perfect when playing some sort of roboty dude, even a pyscho angry one. 

Spader was not even remotely on my radar as an addition to a superhero movie (then again, neither was Ben Affleck last week) ... but I have to say, I'm pumped to see what he can bring to the movie. I was already incredibly excited about "Avengers: Age of Ultron" - I LOOOOOOOOOVE "The Avengers" and really like all of the accompanying movies - but now I'm even more thrilled about it!

Now to wait until May 1, 2015!